FOXBORO — When the Oakland Raiders cut defensive lineman Andre Carter on Aug. 31, it looked like his NFL career had reached its conclusion. No shame in that as Carter had been a consistent and productive performer for 12 seasons, including one with the Patriots in 2011 when he recorded 10 sacks and was named to his only Pro Bowl before a season-ending injury deprived him of the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl for the first time.

Having been around the game for so many years as a player and an observer — his dad, Rubin, spent 12 seasons playing nose tackle for the Broncos beginning in 1975 — he accepted getting released like the true professional he is.

"My time with them was done and that's the nature of the business," the pragmatic Carter told a small group of reporters Tuesday.

But he was also buoyed by what he heard before departing Oakland and returning home to Southern California.

"The coaches that I was close with and my teammates in the Raiders organization said, 'You still have a lot left. There is no way you're not done,' " Carter, 34, recalled. "When you hear that you know you're still in it, you're still in the fight."

So while beginning to explore future career options in coaching and commentating, Carter kept his 6-foot-4, 260-pound frame fit because you never know when that call might come. Staying in shape paid off in late October when the Patriots signed him after Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly saw their seasons end due to injury in consecutive weeks.

"I was ready and fortunately, by the grace of God, they called me and here I am today," Carter said.

Carter has appeared in all eight games since arriving in New England, playing as few as six and as many as 45 snaps while serving as a backup to starting defensive ends Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. He's only made five tackles, but has two sacks, another five quarterback hits and a pair of passes defensed as he remains an effective pocket disruptor.

Carter ranks 10th among active players with 80.5 career sacks, but has never paid much attention to personal statistics. His objective has always been to make sure he's executing his individual assignments within the team framework.

"For me personally, I just play ball with the goal of helping the team win," he said. "So whether it's a certain play where I need to be at a certain point or a certain gap to take up a blocker so another guy can make a play or whether it's making a tackle in a certain down or a certain situation, that's my job. That's where my focus is.

"It isn't on production. Production is just being at the right place at the right time because the other 10 guys were doing their job. And when you look at it, that's football — playing for a purpose, playing for a (playoff) drive, it makes the game so much fun."

The Patriots have certainly enjoyed their second go-round with Carter, who left here following the 2011 season after the two parties failed to come to contract terms.

Coach Bill Belichick pointed out how Carter, even after all these years, is still the first to arrive for meetings. You can find him attentively seated in the front row, notebook open and pen in hand ready to learn like some kind of undrafted rookie rather than a highly respected veteran.

That work ethic carries over to the weight room, the film room the practice field and game day, serving as a great example for a roster that's one of the youngest in the league.

"If you never said a word to him and just watched what he does, he'd be a great example and a great role model," Belichick said. "You can see why he's played 13 years in the league. … He does a good job and, as I said, you can see why he's had such a good career in this league because he's so committed to it. He's a smart guy, he works hard and he really cares.

"I think that's certainly been a good influence on our team — at the position he plays and all the other ones. It's good for the coaches, too. He's just a good guy to have on your team, good guy to be around."

The feeling is mutual. It hasn't been easy being 3,000 miles away from his wife and their two children for the past 10 weeks, but other than home there's no place Carter would rather be than New England.

"I'm back here and this plays holds such special meaning to," he said. "Not so much the level of comfort I had in 2011, but it just represents who I am as a person as far as work ethic, dedication and the love of the game. That's what makes football so much fun and what makes the time go by fast. Even when I say 13 years, it's such a blur.

"I haven't had, from a team standpoint, many successful winning seasons because I had some rough years in San Francisco and some rough years in Washington, but I guess I was, so to speak, a survivor, because I just did my job. I never focused on the score. I just played my heart out."

CDL A DELIVERY DRIVERS Home Every Night! Needed for our Worcester Depot! Drive local - No more spending valuable nights away from your family! As a Direct Store Delivery Representative YOU have the opportunity to make a difference with our customers! Provide excellent customer service; interact in a positive manner with our customers; deliver our products to local stores. Be home every night! Work for a Company that has been around for over 80 years! Minimum of 3 months driving experience with CDL A/B; GED or HS diploma required; Must be able to drive a standard transmission. EEO/Veteran/Disability Growing Strong Since1933!